Art of cracking and distilling fuels



April 11, 1933. R ARTER 1,903,749

ART OF CRACKING AND DISTILLING FUELS Filed Feb. 13, 1926 711:5 ation/w43Patented Apr. 11, 1933 RUSSELL CARTER, F WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OFCOLUMBIA .ART CRACKING- AND DISTILLNG FUELS Application. led February13, 1926.

Among the salient objects in view are the recove-ry of initially blendeddistillates of a plurality of fuels; the utilization of the heatemployed for cracking one fuel as a source of heat supplyv for crackinganother fuel; the cracking of a plurality of fuels in the presenceof'e-ach other, and the recovery of segregated higher values frominitially combined lower values.

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1With these and other objects in view as 'will in part hereinafterbecome apparent and in part be stated, the inventions comprise a processand apparatus well adapted for carrying out the process whereby suchobjects are attained in themost facile manner.

In the accompanying drawing, the figure is a diagrammatic showing partlyin section of a plant well adapted for carrying` out the improved artand comprehending an embodiment of the structural features of thepresent inventions. Y

Referring to the drawing by numerals, 1 Vindicates a furnace, which maybe electrical, gas, or other heat supplying apparatus, which is shown asprovided with the usual crackingcoil 2. The coil 2 may be of specialconstruction according to the specific character of the furnace 1. Apipe line 3 supplies fluid hydrocarbon fuel to the coil 2, and saidfluid is delivered to the pipe 3 by an appropriate pump 4 taking its4supply from a pipe line 5 communicating with an appropriate source ofsupply 6. A pipe 7 leads from the discharge-end of coil 2 and dischargesinto the upper end of a cracking or percolating chamber 8. Arrangedpreferably centrally of the chamber 8 and spaced from the surroundingwalls thereof is a support or container 9 for solid fuel indicated at10. The container 9 is foraminous and may be simply an open framework,its chief function being to maintain the fuel 10 in place insubstantially the form of a column within the chamber 8. A dischargenozzle 11 delivers the supply from pipe 7 to a point above the column offuel 10, so that the hot oil is discharged down upon said column duringoperation. A vapor line 12 leads from an upper point of chamber 8 to acooling and settling tank 13 commonly designated a dephlegmator SerialNo. 88,100.

in the art. Leading from the upper end of the dephlegmator 13 is a vapordischarge pipe 14 which extends to a condenser 15, and the lattercommunicates by a pipe 16 to a receivcates with the upper portion ofreservoir 17 for leading orf the incondensable gases, which may beutilized as the fuel for the furnace 1, or otherwise disposed of asdesired. A valve 19 controls the discharge through pipe 18. A pressuregauge preferably communicates with the upper portion of reservoir 17 forindicating to the operator the need of adjustment of the valve 19. At alower part of the reservoir 17 a discharge pipe 21 communicatestherewith lfor tliedelivery of the distillate, which, when hydrocarbonfuels are being treated, is a gasoline of distinct antiknock properties.A valve 22 controls the discharge through pipe 21. A residual drainoffpipe 23 communicates with the bottom of reservoir 17 and is controlledby a valve 24C.

The heavier substances which fall to the bottom of the dephlegmat-or 13vare drained, therefrom through a reflux leg 25A communicating with apipe line 26, which in turn communicates with the pipe line 3.Appropriate valves 27, 28 and 29 control the direction of the fluiddischarged through the pipe 25. back through the circulating system bythe closing of the valve 29, and the openings of the valves 28 and27, ormay be delivered by the closing of the valves 27 and 28 and the openingof the valve 29 to a reservoir, or other point of distribution notillustrated.

A pipe 30 has a series of branches 31, 32 and 33 communicating with thechamber 8 at different levels and controlled, respectively, by valves34, 35 and 36 for enabling decanting of the heavier fluids from thechamber 8. The pipe 30 communicates with a pipe line 37 which in turncommunicates with the pipe line 5. The pipe line 37 is provided withvalves 38, 39 and 40, while pipe line 5 is controlled by a valve l1between the point of communication with pipe line 37 and the source ofsupply 6. Thus, the heavier fluids withdrawn through the pipe 3() may becirculated through the coil 2 with or without a The said fluid is attimes directed ing reservoir 17. A discharge 18 communi-L55 ico `asabove stated, progresses.

supplemental supply from the tank 6, or with any proportions desired.The bottom of the chamber 8 is provided with a residuum discharge pipe42, valved at 43, and, if desired, the said pipe 42 is connected toreturn the heavier fluids to the coil 2 by appropriate piping, insteadof the use of the pipe 30 and its connections.

It should be understood that while I have referred to the fuel 1() assolid, and have in mind coal as an especially appropriate illustrativeexample, and while for similar example I shall refer to petroleum or itsproducts as the fluid supplied from tank 6, the inventions comprehendthe use of a plu- 4rality of any fuels or materials adapted to beconjointly cracked or distilled, and effect the delivery of a distillatein which the blending affords an improved commercial product.

The specific operation of the plant as illusltrated diagrammatically inthe accompanying drawing, when utilizing petroleum and coal for example,will be obvious and may be briefly stated as follows:

The fluid is pumped initially from tank 6 through the heating coil andthroughpipes 7 `and 11, chamber 8, pipes 30, 40, and 5, pump 4, andagain through the circuit until the iiuid is raised to a temperatureranging from 750 to 900o F., or thereabouts. After the plant has been onstream until such temperature is attained by the oil, the hot fluidentering the chamber 8 cracks as the pressure is relaxed incident toexpansion in the chamber and vapors therefrom ascend to the dephlegmatorwhile the heavier liquids thereof percolate down through the solids ofcolumn 10, and effect coking and cracking thereof sothat vapors fromsaid solids rise and mingle with thevapors ascending to thedephlegmator. The relatively high degree of temperature necessary forthis result will probably not be reached until the duid has circulatedthrough the system several times. That is to say, the oil pumped throughthe heating coil is discharged into the chamber 8 at the beginning ofoperations while insufficiently heated for cracking and is drawn ofi'through pipe 30 and returned to the pump until the requisite hightemperature is attained, and thereafter the cracking operation,

- lt will be understood, of course, that the moisture meanwhile willhave been driven off and collected at the bottom of the reservoir 17from which it is drained through the pipe 23. The cracking operationcontinues until the fuel of column 10 and the heavier substances; of theliquid from the heating coil coke. As the plant continues on stream, theliquid residuum becomes less in quantity, and the hard coke-likematerial increases in quantity and accumulates in the bottom portion ofthe percolating chamber 8 together with the coke which is formed by thedistillation of the solid fuel 10. The coking action in chamber 8continues upward until the exit 34 is blocked, it being the preferablepractice t0 have the exits 35 and 36 closed as long as exit 34 isusable. Vhen the exit 34 has been blocked by the coking process, thevalve or exit 35 is opened and the decanting continues therethroughuntil the coking process reaches the level sufficient to block the exit35, whereupon the exit 36 is opened, and, when the coking processreaches the point for blocking the exit 35, the delivery of Huid to thechamber 8 can be discontinued and the coke removed therefrom. A freshsupply of solid fuel is then delivered and the operation repeated. Forconvenience, in avoiding loss of time incident to the shutting down ofthe plant, the pipe line 7 may be branched and a second chamberidentical to chamber 8 connected in the system for use while the firstchamber 8 is being cleaned out. To facilitate the cleaning out of thechamber 8, top and bottom man-holes, as shown, are preferably providedand supplied with removable sealed heads of well known or appropriateconstruction, and support 9 is arranged to be removably sustained inchamber 8.

While l have referred to the hydrocarbon group of fluids as petroleum, Ipreferably use gas oil of from thirty-four to thirty-six gravity for acharging stock, and the coal utilized is preferably, but notnecessarily, a good low temperature coking coal, that is, high gradebituminous. This is not stated in limitation but for illustration only,since it is entirely possible to obtain by these inventions valuableresults when wood or other solid fuels are utilized, and when otherfluids are employed. The heart of pine trees may be the solid fuel andcrude turpentine the fluid.

When utilizing gas oil and coal, the combined vapors rising to thedephlegmator of the lighter values produce a benzol blended gasolinedistillate of especially effective anti-knock properties.

It will be understood, of course, that the entire plant will beprotected by such gauges and temperature indicating apparatus as arecommonly employed for this purpose. For instance, the chamber 8 and thedephlegmator 13 will be provided with pyrometers or other temperatureindicating apparatus to insure maintenance thereof within the allowableranges. The vapors on` reaching the dephlegmator 13 are subiected to acooling, and

temperatures andto keep the dephleginatorV I carbon liquid to crackingtemperature while sufficiently cool, cool oil may be delivered to lowerportions thereof, or any other well be utilized for preservknown methodmay ing the requisite temperature of the dephlegmator. In fact, thedephlegmator 13, the condenser l5, and the reservoir 17 with cooperatingparts are duplicated in many of the cracking and distilling plants inuse to-day, and I propose to utilize the most approved methods ofpracticing the industrial art insofar as these structures are concerned.It

will be observed also that while the higher pressure of the coil 2 andline 7 is relaxed for the cracking operation within chamber 8, theentire system may be retained under pressure incident to regulation ofthe valve It is to be observed that by the utilization of the presentinventions I am able to obtain from a plurality of inferior products aplurality of superior products. For example, when using petroleum andbituminous coal, the residuum of the petroleum and the coke of the coalcombine and form coke well adapted for use as a domestic fuel. Thesuperiority of the gasoline in the blending of benzol with gasolinedistillate a'ords a motor fuel of well recognized superior quality nowextensively known for its anti-knock properties.

What is claimed is l. In the art of recovering values from hydrocarboncontaining solids, raising hydrocarbon liquid to cracking temperaturewhile preventing cracking thereof, passing the thus heated liquid intoheat transference Contact with hydrocarbon solids capable of destructivedistillation, and recycling past the heatsource and back to the presenceof the solids unvolatilized portions of the liquid from which lightervolatile portions have been released, and heating the said liquid whilepassing the heat source and delivering heat from the said liquid to thesolidsl While in the presence of the solids until the heat balances inthe solids are built up sufhciently and the solids are thereby raised todistillation temperature, and thereby causing distillation of thehydrocarbon solids, and recovering the resulting mingled vapors.

v2. In the art of recovering values from hydrocarbon containing solids,raising hydrocarbon liquid free from solids to a cracking temperaturewhile preventing cracking thereof, cracking the liquid in heattransference contact with hydrocarbon solids capable of destructivedistillation, and recycling past the heat source and back to thepresence of the solids unvolatilized portions of the liquid from whichlighter volatile portions have been released, and imparting sufiicientheat from the liquid to the solids Ato distill the latterl as Itheliquid is cracking.

3. In the art of recovering values from hy- 'drocarbon containingsolids, raising hydropreventing cracking thereof, bringing the Vheatedliquid into heat transference Contact -with hydrocarbon solids capableof destructive distillation, preventing the liquid from vaporizing untilin the-presence'of the solids,

transferring heat from the liquid and itsvapors to the solids, andrecycling past the heat source and back to the presence of the solids:A

unvolatilized portions of thevliquid from which lighter volatileportionshave been released, and thereby causing distillation of thesolids.

4. In the art of recovering' values froml hydrocarbon containing solids,liowing hydrocarbon liquid in a circuit past a heat source and past andinto heat transference contact with hydrocarbon solids capable ofdestructive distillation, the liquid remaining uncrackedat the place ofand whilereceiving heat from the heat source, and recycling past thelheat source and back to the Vpresence of the solids unvolatilizedportions of the liquid from which lighter volatile portions have beenreleased until the liquid imparts distillation temperature tothe solids.

5. The art 'as claimed .in claim t characterized by the liquid beingconfined against vaporization at the place of and whilere ceiving heatfrom vthe heat source.

. 6. In the art of recovering values from hydrocarbon containing solids,raising hydrocarbon liquid to cracking temperature while preventing theliquid from cracking, passing the heated liquid into heat transferencecontact with hydrocarbon solids capable of destructive distillation,recycling from contact with said solids through the temperature raisingstep unvolatized portions of the liq-"J uid from which lighter volatileportions have been released, and returning said liquid to heattransference contact with said solids and thereby causing the volatilescontained in said solids to be raised to cracking temperature, andrecovering the resulting vapors.

7. In the art of recovering values from hydrocarbon containing solids,raising the teinperature of hydrocarbon material while preventino saidmaterial from crackin@ assin the heated material into an expansion areaand allowing expansion thereof into heat transference contact withhydrocarbon containing solids, recycling from the expansion area throughthe temperature raising step and back to the expansion areaunvolatilized portions of the liquid from which lighter volatileportions have been released until cracking temperature of liquidfractions of the solids is attained, recovering hydrocarbon vapors fromthe expansion area, and continuing recycling from the expansion areapast the temperature raising step and back to the expansion area.

8. In the art of recovering values from hydrocarbon containing solids,raising hydrocarbon liquid to cracking temperature while preventing theliquid from cracking, passing the heated liquid into an eXpansion area,recovering hydrocarbon vapors from the expansion area, and recyclingfrom the expansion area through the temperature raising stepunvolatilized portions of the liquid from which lighter volatileportions have been rel0 leased and returning said liquid to theexpansion area.

9. The art ofrecovering values from hydrocarbon containing solids asclaimed in claim 1 with the further step of recycling f 15 liquidfractions released from the solids past the said heating source and inheat transference contact with the solids for aiding in building up andmaintaining the distillation heat balances in the solids.

i 20 10. The art of recovering valuesfrom hydrocarbon heat transferenceas claimed in claim l wherein the solids are retained stationary duringthe treatment.

11. The art of recovering Values from hyi 25 drocarbon heat transferenceas claimed in claim 1 with the further .step of recycling liquidfractions released from the solids past the said heating source and inheat transference contact with the solids for aiding in 00 building upand maintaining the distillation heat balances in the solids, andcracking the liquid fractions released from the solids in the presenceof the remaining solids.

In testimony whereof I aiX my signature.

I" .35 RUSSELL CARTER.

